M81
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Messier 81
(also known as
NGC 3031
or
Bode's Galaxy
) is a
grand design spiral galaxy
about
12 million
light-years
away in the
constellation
Ursa Major
. It has a
D
25
isophotal diameter
of 29.44
kiloparsecs
(96,000
light-years
).
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Because of its relative proximity to the
Milky Way
galaxy, large size, and
active galactic nucleus
(which harbors a 70 million
M
☉
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supermassive black hole
), Messier 81 has been studied extensively by professional
astronomers
. The galaxy's large size and relatively high brightness also makes it a popular target for
amateur astronomers
.
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In late February 2022, astronomers reported that M81 may be the source of
FRB 20200120E
, a repeating
fast radio burst
.
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